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or disappointment, I have always found him remarkably strong in those moments.

You could never spot any doubt in his words or behaviour. That always transferred back to the players."

- Marilyn Monroe

Really odd to see city carved open so many times at home.

Both teams are a class apart from everyone else.

that result would most likely never have happened if we had two comparably important players - say Hazard and Ramires - out. Both sides have strong squads, strong enough that a missing player or two won't make much of a difference in about 30 of the league's 38 games, but small margins can result in big differences at the very top.

Not sure anyone has the opinion that three players man-marked Yaya Toure, you saucy little minx. Nemanja Matic did that all by himself- completely befuddled a player who was routinely destroyed us in recent years. Was wary of him because of the selling him for £3 and a Snickers and buying him back for the sun and stars thing, but he's looking very fucking good indeed.

Dead chuffed with the performance and result.

really galvanising performance. The type that Jose used to get out of Inter.
"Do exactly what i say and you will win" and they beat the best team in the country, could be a start on a run for the title i think.

Sooooooo glad we turned him down for Moyes :(

Some nice digs at Moyes post match to.

Can't see them missing Aguero too much. In fact, not sure they'll drop any points at all in February or March.

Went 20 unbeaten and were undone by the best manager in the league at a point when we're missing 3 key players and the squad is too walking wounded to even bring on more than one sub, although why he didn't use give lopes 10 minutes is a bit beyond me.

Thought Jovetic looked quality when he came on but other than that we completely lacked any kind of composure in the final 3rd and our tactical set up left Kolarov and Nastasic exposed when these are the two people who needed the most cover.

after the match last night? He went all rabid and started calling everybody out for `not being able to see` that it was obvious Chelsea would win after City lined up 4-4-2. Posted about 12 different points about it. Was quite something.

Gotta thank Mourinho for that win – it’s single-handedly kept any semblance of a `title race` alive. We should all be thankful.

What about all that milky horse stuff, eh?

photoshopped John Terry's head onto a little horse being given milk from a bottle by Jose yet?

Really impressive stuff from Chelsea, seems that 'midfield sweeper' thing that Mourinho's Real tried against Barca works a lot better when you have someone like Matic or Ramires doing it instead of a sociopath like Pepe

If it's due to having a tanty because they were not winning it's one of the most pathetic spectacles I think I've ever seen. Surely it wasn't that?

https://twitter.com/easstudios/status/430527364163174400/photo/1

Shows how monolithic City have been of late that when I tuned in with 40 mins left it seemed like a shock to see Chelsea leading. Which is stupid because it's more like two monocle & top hat-wearing Mr Peanuts slugging it out than a David vs Goliath scenario.

What did he actually do on a typical 9-5 day? You know, after he’d parked up the Jag, strolled into the office, said hello to Brenda on reception, made himself a big old coffee, turned on the computer, cracked his knuckles....and then what?

MOURINHO MARKING MASTERCLASS
JOSE THE DADDY?
MOUR MOUR MOUR (how do you like it? how do you like it?)
MOU-JUSTFUCKOFFWILLYOUHEPLAYEDTWOHOLDINGMIDFIELDERSNOTRAISETHETITANIC

It's amazing what losing a couple of players did to City last night. Shows they're just like everyone else. Which we always knew, but I guess forgot after the spate of mulit-goal thrashings...

Suddenly Chelsea seem to have one that'll do them for the next 10 years. How'd they do that, then?

who is a disaster even when played in position. If we had had even Garcia available we wouldn't have looked quite so catastrophic in defence, but as it was Ramires and Matic had a fine old time. Chelsea got everything spot on. I gained an appreciation for why Mourinho is building this team around Edin Azzar, he's taken a serious step forward this season and looks awesome in every part of the field.

With all that said I felt we could have grabbed a point if either Aguero or Negredo were fully fit and one of the few chances we carved out hadn't fallen to Nastasic or a man made entirely out of silly string and rubber. The next few Pl games are on paper easy but losing both Fernandinho and Aguero for Barca is a bitter blow to our chances. Why did you have to have been so fucking broken and wank, Rodwell.

Richard Wright is at Man City??

sdf

Liverpool fans – were any of you surprised by the result on Sunday in the slightest?

Irritatingly predictable. I didn’t expect to win, but I did expect more goals. It was a stinker of a game, possibly the first shite Liverpool game to be televised this season. We thrill the neutrals normally, the lucky sods.

We should do Fulham and Swansea out of our next games, but I fully expect a double batty-pounding off Arsenal in both those upcoming games. If you offered me a win in either of them, I’d take the league one all day. With a Suarez brace, por favor.

Man Utd question. If they don't get top 4, will they have problems getting good players in the next transfer window?

Chelsea, Man City and Arsenal will have more pull next transfer market. If fourth place is liverpool, then they could easily draw away players which would have instead gone to Man Utd.

If fourth is Everton and Spurs, i think that could be seen as a one off result, and that players would see Man utd as a bigger bet. Liverpool back in the Champions League however, would be seen as them back in the top flight on a permanent basis, and more attractive to the players Man Utd need.

Still, winner of Europa Cup gets a Champions league place next year. Maybe that can be Man Utd's plan

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/26034711

http://twohundredpercent.net/?p=25352

Interesting that some clubs may try to get Man City banned from Champions league next year for breaking FFP rules.

Joe Ledley seems to be a big hit with Thai kids, I hope they aren't too upset that he has left Celtic.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q-5Bf0OmYtA#t=48

I know Swansea have been going through a bad patch of late, but I thought they'd give him until at least the end of the season. Interesting timing, too, with the South Wales Derby coming up on Saturday.

Seems like no manager has lasted a year after winning the League Cup in recent years. Maybe Man City winning it would be a good thing after all.

Having discovered getting through would reward us with struggling Conference South side Gosport for a shot at Wembley we've done the usual and made a mess of Havant and Waterlooville, also Conf South, in the FA Trophy quarter final tonight. Not losing yet but we're down to ten, never understood what players are thinking when they kick out at an opponent.

I'll reserve this corner of the thread to have a little cry in

he didn't seem happy

How bad is this match?

who normally can't stifle their raging hard on for Huw Jenkins and his boardroom will report this.

Is this a typical example of short termism blighting the face of our game, or a shrewd considered decision?

than a 0-0 after 105 minutes in an FA cup replay against a team 2 divisions lower than your team

Not even going to get penalties out of this.

seriously though, fulham are utter, utter pump

meulensteen and his coaching staff should be sacked on the spot imo